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Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#171

Post by varispeed »

ChrisRR wrote: post #16
jinglejangley wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm already earning near that compensation, was just looking for something on the side as well :)

How much more money do you need if you're on 200K? That's already like 3-4x the salary of a dev in the UK

This is my pet peeve - why so many people here in the UK strive for mediocrity? Do we really got rid ourselves of any ambitions? When you admit to earning more than £35k you are supposed to feel sorry and apologise for trying and if you are over £80k people look at you as a privileged money pinata, that ideally should be taxed at 100% and keep head down in shame.

For instance, I have been working on a product in my spare time and I don't want to finance it through loans or giving up equity. Having £200k job (only £9,500 net per month) would get me closer to get the required tools, inventory, securing a rent for the workshop and storage, but that still not really too much money for that kind of endeavour. Unfortunately I am coming from a poor working class and I don't have a rich daddy to fund my start up, yet when people learn how much I earn they think I am rich, but reality is that kind of money is not enough to make anything sensible with it (you still have to save for years and live modestly), but people think it's the level of private jets and heated pool in a large back garden of a mansion.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#172

Post by jules »

d0100 wrote: post #70
sph wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be prepared to have to do off-screen and later screen-shared, timed leetcode challenges. Fail one, it's an automatic disqualification.

For me the screen-shared leetcode/React challenge was stupid easy, I failed in the later take home project because I half assed it (no testing/CRUD validation)

What was the take home project about?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#173

Post by ulrashida »

pc86 wrote: post #103
buzbe_uk wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This may be unpopular here, but be really clear what you want out of your job. If you're just talking side gigs be really clear this doesn't interfere with your own job performance. The first target you hit because of your "side gig" will be your downward spiral. Now .. running your own business is another option. For me I encourage my staff to have "side gig" of their own business, but will not sign off on them cont…

> For me I encourage my staff to have "side gig" of their own business, but will not sign off on them contracting on the side. Imagine believing that you have the right to "sign off" on what your employees do in their free time provided they're not directly competing with you.

It's a simple legal ass cover. Should the manager / lead care if there's a side gig in play while all other needs are being met? No, of course not. However, what if the side gig becomes a bit more than planned and now your team member isn't delivering, gets sick more often, or is otherwise grinding themselves into the ground (and doesn't recognize the need to get out of that situation)?

You can care about your team member's welfare and support them 100%, but part of that support should be defining the rules of play so that all parties know what the agreement is.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#174

Post by giantg2 »

sokoloff wrote: post #170
giantg2 wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the part we're disconnected on is "better". Will a couple extra grand a year make their family's life better beyond the amount they already have? Perhaps physical exercise or relaxing provides more benefit. Of course we probably can't answer this as it's specific to each individual. I suppose I'm in the camp that finds it skeptical that it would be much benefit at that level. I might also view it as a negativ…

Most every tech job in the world could go to someone who needs it more. That doesn't make me discourage people from taking tech jobs, nor do I plan to retire when I have the minimum amount needed for a modest retirement.

"Most every tech job in the world could go to someone who needs it more."

Based on the struggle to hire qualified candidates, it seems this is an unrealistic view. Also, there is a difference between someone having a single job, and someone double dipping.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#175

Post by k__ »

jinglejangley wrote: post #118
k__ wrote: post #113

You could write about backend development. There are content agencies that always look for devs that can write.

Yeah, I maintain a couple of blogs but they are strictly not-for-profit as I believe information should be free. Thanks though :)

Well, the content you write will usually freely available.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#176

Post by mr-yamasi »

keepquestioning wrote: post #155
itake wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I earn $10k/mo contracting 20 hours per week. Personally, this extra income helped me maximize my day job benefits (401k and ESPP) and provided liquidity during the home buying process.

Where did you find your gigs?

That's a little like asking for someone's favorite fishing hole.

My experience has been that serious networking has been more effective than anything else.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#177

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

3pt14159 wrote: post #150
ollieglass wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am curious about the impact of being an advisor on a CV. Could you share what it's done for you?

I'd prefer to keep my CV off of HN. It's a bit spicy. That said, the peak I've pulled down as a SRE is a total comp of CAD$600k a year and I'm presently a CTO of a barely-in-the-media startup. I'm doing ok.

> It's a bit spicy.

No idea what this means, but I love it.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#178

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

goodpoint wrote: post #72
sirsinsalot wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making a value judgement on someones financial ambition is a little ... weak. Does it really matter? I'm on £200k gross in the UK, outside London ... but i'm not done climbing that mountain. Of course £200k is "enough" for anyone, but that doesn't mean you can't aim higher. Ambition should be celebrated

> Ambition should be celebrated Only if you mean skill growth and self improvement. But pure greed - no, we have more than enough of that.

I want to work hard at my axe throwing skills so I can hit targets more accurately.

That will help me become a better axe murderer since people are less likely to see me. Still wanna celebrate my skill growth?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#179

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

xwdv wrote: post #36
sirsinsalot wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making a value judgement on someones financial ambition is a little ... weak. Does it really matter? I'm on £200k gross in the UK, outside London ... but i'm not done climbing that mountain. Of course £200k is "enough" for anyone, but that doesn't mean you can't aim higher. Ambition should be celebrated

Ambition is the enemy of consistency.

So?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get side gigs?

#180

Post by kjellsbells »

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #177
3pt14159 wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd prefer to keep my CV off of HN. It's a bit spicy. That said, the peak I've pulled down as a SRE is a total comp of CAD$600k a year and I'm presently a CTO of a barely-in-the-media startup. I'm doing ok.

> It's a bit spicy. No idea what this means, but I love it.

You gotta feel for the techs running adult sites. Used to be (maybe still is?) the bleeding edge of web tech. Payments, micro payments, video, advanced site search, content filtering, crypto,... I guess there is a lesson there, like "serving primal urges = $$$". But you never see those resumes on linkedin.
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